Hammer Metals Completes Kalman Ore Sorting Trial
THE DRILL SERGEANT: Hammer Metals (ASX: HMX) received pleasing results from preliminary ore sorting test-work completed on samples taken from the company’s Kalman copper-gold-molybdenum-rhenium deposit, south-east of Mt Isa in North-West Queensland.
Hammer Metals explained the aim of this trial test work was to determine whether ore sorting technology could be applied to ore from the Kalman deposit.
Trial test work using a bulk sample taken from the Kalman deposit has shown that approx. 80 per cent of ore can potentially be recovered with an approx. 40-45 per cent reduction in mass processed.
Copper grade increase of 28 per cent (0.71 per cent to 0.91 per cent Cu) with a mass reduction of 35 per cent and recovery of 83.4 per cent;
Gold grade increase of 39 per cent (0.23g/t to 0.32g/t Au) with a mass reduction of 35 per cent and recovery of 91 per cent; and
Molybdenum grade increase of 103 per cent (0.33 per cent to 0.67 per cent Mo) with a mass reduction of 62 per cent and a recovery of 77 per cent.
The favourable initial results have given Hammer confidence to embark on a larger program of testwork.
“This is a tremendous result from early-stage test work and shows that the Kalman deposit is amenable to ore sorting technology,” Hammer Metals managing director Daniel Thomas said in the company’s ASX announcement.
“Processing costs can represent a significant proportion (>50%) of overall production costs and reducing the amount of sub-economic material going through a grinding and flotation circuit could significantly increase project returns.
“Similarly, an increased head grade through the grinding/flotation circuit may lead to significant capital savings by reducing the required throughput capacity of the plant.
“It was pleasing to see the copper and molybdenum ore domains both behave in a similar manner to the same sort algorithm.
“The overall benefits of ore sorting will not only apply to reduced operating and capital costs but are also likely to result in an expanded resource when the upgrade factors are applied within the Kalman Resource model.
“It’s an exciting time for the Kalman project as we embark on further shallow extensional drilling.
“Successful drilling and learnings from the ore sorting test work will enable Hammer to review and upgrade the existing resource model.”
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